In a network, the quality of the connection (and thus the bandwidth available) can vary based on various conditions. Noise or interference on a physical wire, problems in a network device, and others, can reduce the actual bandwidth available to users of the network. These problems can be more significant in a wireless network where weather, device failure, and other factors can affect the ability to wireless transmit a signal, and thus affect bandwidth. In a mesh network, routing changes may affect bandwidth as nodes join and leave the network.
The changes in the actual bandwidth pose challenges for a network administrator and for clients of the network. For example, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) may want to provide the highest bandwidth possible for customers; however, changes in the actual bandwidth may affect all customers and create frustration. Certain applications (such as video streaming, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) applications, and others) may be more sensitive to changes in the bandwidth than others. The ability to gracefully and dynamically adjust to changes in the network bandwidth would be useful.